Turbocompressor



Oct. 25, 1966 J. A. PAPAPANU TURBOGOMPRESSOR Filed Sept. 28, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l U mu mm M 1% A s E M A J ATTORNEL Oct. 25, 1966 J. A. PAPAPANU 3,281,062

I TURBOGOMPRESSOR Filed Sept. 28, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 6

INVENTOR.

JAMES A. PAPAPANU.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,281,062 TURBOCOMPRESSOR James A. Papapanu, Syracuse, N.Y., assignor to Carrier Corporation, Syracuse, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 399,544 1 Claim. (Cl. 230-116) This invention relates to a turbocompressor and, more particularly, to improved fluid handling characteristics and temperature relationships in a turbocompressor arranged so that a rotor assembly may be easily removed, serviced and replaced.

The present invention is directed to a turbocompressor herein embodied in a steam driven refrigerant compressor having a rotor assembly which-may be easily removed from :and replaced in a main housing. The removable rotor assembly may be operatively balanced when removed from the main housing and then partially disassembled, placed, in the main housing and reassembled in balanced condition ready for operation. Passage of steam and refrigerant'through the turbocompressor is such that heat transfer between the hot steam and cold refrigerant is retarded, thus improving the efficiency of the turbocompressor. The unit is hermetic and has water lubricated bearings with provision for draining the lubricant and any leakage of steam and refrigerant from the turbocompressor and thereby effectively preventing leakage into steam and refrigerant sides of the turbocompressor.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved turbocompressor.

Another object is to provide a new and improved steam driven refrigerant compressor.

A more specific object is provision of .a new and improved turbocompressor including a main housing and therein a rotor assembly including a rotor housing and bearings rotatably mounting a rotor unit in the rotor housing, and provision for releasably and operatively fixedly mounting the rotor assembly in the main housing and effectively preventing the passage of fluids between the turbine and compressor sides of the turbocompressor. A related object is provision for disassembling a previously balanced rotor .assembly and then operatively mounting and assembling the rotor assembly in the main housing in the balanced condition. Another related object is provision for removal from the turbocompressor of leakage from the turbine and compressor sides of the turbocompressor. Another related object is provision for passing lubricant to the bearings and withdrawing the lubricant along with any leakage fluids.

Still another related object is provision in such a turbocompressor of a mounting portion of the main housing for mounting the turbocompressor on a support having a port with turbine and compressor inlets and outlets in the main housing each having an outer end, one of the outer ends opening through the mounting portion in communication with the port for the passage of fluid therethrough.

Another related object is provision of a new and improved turbocompressor wherein the turbine is driven by a relatively hot fluid which is cooled as it passes through the turbine, and the oompressor compresses a relatively cold fluid which is heated as it passes through the compressor, the inlets for these fluids being at opposite ends of the main housing and the outlets being between the inlets, thereby providing a declining temperature gradient from the turbine inlet tothe compressor inlet. A related object is provision for associating the bearings with the outlets so that the bearings are exposed to relatively moderate temperatures of the outlets rather than relatively extreme temperatures of the inlets. Another related object is provision for the relatively hot driving fluid to expend its energyin drivingthe turbine before being affected by the lower'temperature compressor side, and for maintaining compressed fluid substantially unaffected by the relatively hot turbine inlet.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an end view of a turbocompressor mounted'on a supporting portion of a steam condenser, with parts broken away for clearer illustration;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken generally along the line IIII in FIGURE 1;

FIGURES 3, 4, and 5 are vertical sectional views taken generally along the lines III-III, IVIV, and V-V, respectively, in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, exploded vertical sectional view taken generally along the line VI--VI in FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawings, a turbocompressor 11 includes an outer or main housing 12 having a mounting portion generally in the form of an arm 13 extending approximately radially from an inner section 14 (FIGURE 2) of the housing 12 for mounting'the turbocompressor 11 on a steam condenser 15 as by bolts 16. The steam condenser 15 has a steam inlet port 17 communicating with an outer end of a discharge steam passage 18 extending through the 'arm 13 for the passage of discharge steam into the condenser 15. A turbine side 19 of the turbocompressor 11 includes an end cap 20 removably secured to the main housing inner section 14 as by bolts 21. A compressor side 22 includes a compressor end cap 23 also-removably secured to the main housing inner section 14 as by suitable bolts 24. The main housing caps 20 and 23 and the inner section 14 are preferably each an integral casting.

A rotor assembly 25 includes a rotor housing 26 in which a rotor unit 27 is operatively mounted by means of suitable bearings 28. The rotor housing 26 is telescoped in a sleeve-like portion 29 of the main housing inner section 14 to retain the rotorhousing 26 operatively positioned against movement in-the main housing radially of a rotor shaft 30. The rotor assembly 25 is suitably held against movement relative to the main housing 12 in a direction axially of the shaft 30 by means of cooperating abutments 31 on the housings 12 and 26 and a circumferential series of bolts 32 extending through the abutments for releasably securing the rotor housing 26 to the main housing inner section 14. Suitable seals, such as O-rings 33 seated in suitable grooves 34 (FIGURE 6) extend peripherally about the rotor housing 26 and engage the sleeve-like portion 29 of the main housing for effectively preventing the passage of steam and refrigerant about the rotor housing 26 between the turbine and compressor sides.

The bearings 28 mount the rotor shaft 30 for rotation rel'ative'to the rotor housing 26 and hold the rotor shaft against axial movement relativeto therotor housing. A

removable end part 35 is secured to a main part 36 of the rotor housing by a radial series of bolts 37, and facilitates insertion of the bearings 28 and retains them in place. The bearings 28 are preferably water lubricated, and suitable passages 40 (FIGURE 2) provide communication between the bearings and a lubricant water inlet 41. A tube 42 extends through the housings from a connector 43 on the main housing for passing water to the passages 40 and the bearings 28. From the bearings 28, the lubricant water passes along the shaft 30 and through discharge passages, as 44 (FIGURE 6), and into a collection chamber 45 in the rotor housing 26 about the shaft 30. From the collection chamber .45, lubricant water and any leakage is removed from the turbocompressor through a drain 46 (FIGURE 4) defined by communicating passages in the rotor housing and the main housing intermediate the O-ring seals and terminating in a connector portion 47 on the main housing.

Suitable seal means such as contact or labyrinth seals 50 are provided between the rotor housing 26 and the shaft 30 for restricting the flow of steam and refrigerant along the shaft between the turbine and refrigerant sides of the turbocompressor. Such leakage fluids pass along the shaft into the collection chamber 45 from which they are withdrawn through the drain 46 along with the discharged lubricant water.

The compressor side of the turbocompressor includes a compressor rotor 51 of smaller diameter than the rotor housing 26 to permit the rotor assembly to telescope in the sleeve 29. The rotor 51 is removable and suitably operatively fixedly keyed to the shaft 30 and held on one end of the shaft, as by a nut 52. This rotor is in communication with an axial refrigerant inlet 53 in the compressor end cap 23 and having an outer end for connection with a suction line to pass relatively cold refrigerant vapor to the compressor. Refrigerant vapor is compressed and discharged at an elevated tempenature from the compressor through a discharge scroll 54 communicating with a refrigerant outlet 55 having an outer end for connection to a refrigerant condenser.

The turbine side 19 of the turbocompressor includes a two stage turbine rotor assembly 56, and as illustrated, an outer, first stage turbine rotor 57 and an inner, second stage turbine rotor 58 both removably and operatively fixedly secured on an adjacent end of the rotor shaft as by a nut 59. Coupling means for assuring precise positioning of the rotors on the shaft are provided, and herein commercially available couplings 60, such as Cruvic couplings manufactured by the Gleason Works at Rochester, New York, are provided between adjacent abutting portions of the first and second stage rotor hubs and between the second stage rotor hub and an abutment on the rotor shaft to assure precise positioning of these rotors so that proper balance may be assured when the rotors are removed from and returned to the shaft. The rotors and shaft define the rotor unit 27.

A first stage nozzle quadrant 61 is bolted to the turbine end cap 20 and a second stage nozzle ring 62 is removably secured to the inner section 14 of the main housing 12 in operative association with the first and second stage turbine rotors, respectively. A clamping ring 63 seats the nozzle ring 62 against a mounting ring 64 in abutting engagement with the main housing 12, and a radially disposed series of bolts 65 extend through the clamping and mounting rings and are threadably seated in the main housing inner portion 14 to clamp the nozzle ring in operative position. The nozzle ring 62 and the second stage turbine rotor hub are provided with a suitable labyrinth seal unit 66 for effectively preventing the passage of steam between the turbine rotors except through the nozzles of the nozzle ring. The nozzle quadrant 61 is operatively mounted on an inner face of the turbine end cap in 7 communication with a scroll steam chamber 67 communicating with a steam inlet 68 having an outer end for con nection with the steam supply line. Relatively high temperature steam is cooled in driving the turbine rotors and passes into a steam chamber 69 in the main housing inner section 14. The steam chamber encircles the sleeve portion 29 of the main housing and communicates with the steam discharge passage 18 extending through the arm 13 which forms the mounting portion of the main housing 12.

The relatively cold refrigerant inlet 53 is at an end of the main housing opposite the relatively hot steam inlet 68, and the refrigerant discharge scroll 54, and associated outlet 55 are effectively positioned between the refrigerant inlet 53 and the steam chamber 69 and associated discharge passage 18. Since the supply steam inlet 68 and scroll 67 is at a substantially higher temperature than the refrigerant received by the compressor inlet 53, a constantly declining temperature gradient is provided through the turbocompressor from the steam inlet 68 to the refrigerant inlet 53, and the bearings '28 and seals 50 are exposed to moderate intermediate temperature of the outlets rather than extreme temperatures of the inlets. Furthermore, by positioning the outlets 55 and 69 (18) adjacent each other the steam has expended its energy in driving the turbocompressor prior to being exposed to lower temperature compressed refrigerant, and the compressed refrigerant vapor is not heated excessively, thus improving the efficiency of the turbocompressor.

To remove the rotor assembly 25 from the main housing 12, the turbine end cap bolts 21 are first removed to permit removal of the end cap 20. Next, the bolts 65 are removed so that the clamping ring 63 may be removed to expose the first stage turbine rotor 57. By holding the first stage turbine rotor 57, the nut 59 on the end of the shaft 30 may then be removed, whereupon the first stage turbine rotor 57, the second stage nozzle ring 62, the clamping ring 64 and the second stage rotor 58 may be removed in that order. With these parts removed, the bolts 32 are removed so that rotor housing 26 along with the rotor shaft 30 and compressor rotor 51 may be removed. The turbine rotors 57 and 58 may then be precisely reassembled on the shaft 30 in their normal running position should balancing be desired. When reassembling the turbocompressor, the turbine rotors are removed from the shaft, whereupon the rotor housing 26 is telescoped into the sleeve like portion 29 of the main housing inner section 14, and the rotor housing bolts 37 are secured in place to retain the rot-or housing operatively positioned, whereupon the turbine rotor and nozzle assemblies may be operatively positioned in reverse order of thatdescribed with reference to the disassembly, and the turbine rotors are precisely positioned, as by aligning index marks, in balanced position on the shaft by means of the couplings 60.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described and illustrated, it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto since it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claim.

I claim: In a turbocompressor, the combination of a main housing having a turbine side and a compressor side, a rotor assembly in said housing, said rotor assembly including a rotor housing, a rotor shaft, turbine rotor means and a compressor rotor means, one of said rotor means being secured to each end of the shaft for rotation with the shaft, said main housing including a sleeve-like portion in which the rotor housing is telescopically received, said rotor housing including a removable end member, abutments on said main housing and said rotor housing to hold the rotor assembly against axial movement, fastening means to secure the rotor housing to the main housing, an end cap closing the compressor side, a second end cap closing the turbine side, sealing means between the main housing and the rotor housing to prevent pass-age of fluid therebetween, bearing means mounting said shaft in said rotor housing for rotation relative to said rotor housing and effectively preventing radial and axial movement of the shaft and said rotor means relative to said rotor housing, said turbine rotor means including a first stage rotor, a second stage rotor, a first stage nozzle quadrant secured to said turbine end cap, a second stage nozzle ring removably secured to the main housing, a clamping ring, a mounting ring, said clamping ring sealing the nozzle ring against the mounting ring, fastening means to secure the nozzle ring in operative position, second seal means between said shaft and said rotor housing at each end of the shaft inwardly of the adjacent rotor means, a lubricant collection chamber in said rotor housing about the shaft and between said second seal means, a tube extending through the housings, passages providing communication between the tube and the bearings to supply lubricant to sor sides passing into said chamber, and a drain to remove fluid from the collection chamber.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,702,093 2/1955 Sherrill 230-116 2,775,400 12/1956 Cop 230-416 2,860,827 11/1958 Egli 230-116 3,150,820 9/1964 Jekatetal. 230 116 10 3,202,341 8/1965 LaFleur 230 116 FOREIGN PATENTS 80,791 2/1956 Netherlands.

the bearings, lubricant from the bearings collecting in 15 RQBERT M WALKER, Primary Examiner said chamber, any leakage from the turbine and compres- 

